Privacy policy

1. Scope

JoiningSafari is a marketplace that helps travelers find and join scheduled safari departures offered by independent operators. JoiningSafari is operated by Wasaa Chat Ltd. This policy applies to information handled through JoiningSafari services. An operator may also have its own privacy obligations when it provides your safari.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide

• Account information, including your mobile number, name, email address, preferred language, and one-time-code verification records.
• Booking information, including destinations, travel dates, seat selections, pickup details, traveler information, booking history, and reviews.
• Payment information, including the payment amount, status, transaction reference, and the mobile number used for an M-Pesa request. We do not ask for or store your M-Pesa PIN.
• Messages, support requests, safety reports, and other content you send through the service.
• For operators, company, licence, vehicle, insurance, payout, and verification information.

Information collected automatically

We may collect device and browser type, IP address, app version, timestamps, pages or features used, crash information, security events, and similar diagnostic data. We also store essential browser data such as your session and color-mode preference.

3. How we use information

• Create and secure your account, authenticate sign-ins, and remember your preferences.
• Search departures, reserve seats, process payments, confirm bookings, and coordinate pickup.
• Enable private traveler-operator messaging and provide customer support.
• Verify operators and vehicles, prevent fraud, investigate safety concerns, and enforce our terms.
• Maintain, troubleshoot, measure, and improve JoiningSafari.
• Meet legal, tax, accounting, regulatory, and dispute-resolution obligations.

Depending on the context, we process information to perform our contract with you, comply with law, protect legitimate interests such as security and service improvement, or act with your consent.

4. When we share information

We do not sell personal information. We share only what is reasonably necessary with:

• Safari operators: booking and pickup information needed to deliver your journey. Your phone number is not displayed in traveler-operator conversations.
• Payment and communications providers: providers that process M-Pesa requests, OTP messages, email, push notifications, or similar service communications.
• Technology providers: vetted hosting, database, security, analytics, customer-support, and infrastructure providers acting on our instructions.
• Authorities or other parties: when required by law or reasonably necessary to protect travelers, operators, JoiningSafari, or the public.
• Corporate transactions: in connection with a merger, financing, reorganisation, or sale, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

5. Retention and security

We retain information for as long as needed to provide the service and for legitimate operational, safety, legal, tax, accounting, and dispute purposes. Retention periods vary by record type. When information is no longer required, we delete or de-identify it where reasonably possible.

We use administrative, technical, and organisational safeguards designed to protect information, including access controls, encrypted connections, token-based authentication, and activity monitoring. No system can guarantee absolute security, so please protect your device and verification codes.

6. Your privacy choices and rights

Subject to applicable law, including Kenya’s Data Protection Act, you may ask to access, correct, update, export, object to or restrict certain processing, withdraw consent, or delete your personal information. You can update available profile information in Account settings.

To request account deletion or exercise another privacy right, email hello@joiningsafari.com. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request. Some information may be retained where required by law or needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

You may also raise a concern with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner of Kenya.

7. International transfers

Some service providers may process information outside Kenya. When this happens, we use appropriate contractual, organisational, and legal safeguards intended to protect the information in accordance with applicable law.

8. Children’s privacy

JoiningSafari accounts and bookings are intended for adults. A parent or guardian should make arrangements for a child traveling with them. If you believe a child has provided personal information without appropriate permission, contact us so we can review and take appropriate action.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our services, providers, or legal obligations change. We will post the revised policy here, update the date above, and provide additional notice when a change is material.